Emily Bevan

ITV welcomes back everybody's favourite grumpy GP Doc Martin for a seventh series. The big difference in this first episode is the fact that Martin (Martin Clunes) is without his wife Louisa (Caroline Catz) who is currently living in Spain with their son. It's clear that Martin isn't coping well with this temporary separation as he isn't sleeping at all and hasn't even agreed to see a therapist. However the mostly idiotic population of Portwenn are causing him to miss various appointments due to the fact that none of them can seemingly make a good decision. This episode's patient of the week was decorator and lifeboat volunteer Steve (Daniel Ryan) who faked a urine test to garner a medical certificate from Martin. However, later he collapsed at the wheel of his lifeboat after suffering a mini-stroke causing Martin and company to come out to sea to save him. I've found that Doc Martin is a show that you have to just go with in order to enjoy as it's incredibly easy to poke holes in especially when it comes to the poorly-written supporting characters. Luckily, the series is well directed by Nigel Cole who made the lifeboat sequence the star of the show as Martin desperately tried to revive his deceitful patient. Clunes was also on form here especially as he's constantly able to make the audience sympathise with his misanthropic GP. The scenes I particularly enjoyed were the ones in which Martin was visibly trying to hold back the emotional pain that Louisa's departure had caused. I'm also looking forward to the rest of the series due to the fact that the brilliant Emily Bevan has joined the cast as Martin's straight-talking therapist Dr. Rachel Timoney. I do feel that Martin may have met his match in Rachel and I suspect that the scenes between Bevan and Clunes may provide the highlights of this series. Despite a few changes, Doc Martin is pretty much offering the same combination of lovely exterior shots, quirky supporting characters and a brilliant central turn that has kept a loyal audience tuned in for six years. However it does seem that this audience is slowly diminishing so I do wonder if this might be the end for Doc Martin especially if the viewing figures continue to dwindle.

Matt, The Custard TV, 13th September 2015

Radio Times review

"Urine! Dipstick! Move!" barks Dr Martin Ellingham at his understandably alarmed receptionist Morwenna. Clearly, despite being heartbroken that his wife Louisa has taken their son James to live in Spain while she works out their marital problems, Martin's bad-tempered demeanour hasn't softened at all since we last saw him. On a more positive note he does agree to see a therapist, although Dr Rachel Timoney (Emily Bevan), while being young and attractive, is almost as acerbic as he is.

There's no sign of Sigourney Weaver or Caroline Quentin yet, both of whom make guest appearances in this series. There's Daniel Ryan as a local lifeboat hero in this episode. But the Cornish scenery is gorgeous, Portwenn is bathed in sunshine and Martin Clunes is as engaging as ever. Around nine million people will be very happy to see this doctor again.

Jane Rackham, Radio Times, 7th September 2015

Emily Bevan discusses The Last Sparks of Sundown

Emily Bevan is set to return to the big screen this summer with new British comedy The Last Sparks of Sundown. We caught up with the actress to chat about the role of Lucy Fairweather, working with her director pal James, and what lies ahead for her this year.

Helen Earnshaw, Female First, 17th July 2015